Chaos erupts as Jamataka fails to find new Kgosi

Pini Bothoko | Tuesday July 29, 2014 12:37

The chieftaincy in Jamataka fell vacant recently following a visit by Bangwato regent, Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane, who announced upgrades to the Kgotla that would require the Kgosi to be able to read and write.

Then sitting chief, Kgosi Goitseone subsequently stepped aside as he is illiterate, leading villagers to plead for time in which the royal family could choose his successor. Kgamane had granted the villagers two and a half weeks to name the new Kgosi and advised the royal family to avoid squabbles by electing the new Kgosi.

Kgamane’s calls for peace went unheeded on Saturday, as it quickly emerged that divisions are wracking the royal family in its quest to identify Kgosi Goitseone’s successor.

Goitseone’s uncle, Mompati Gabatwaelwe, said the family had failed to find a replacement and was suggesting that the former Kgosi’s name be resubmitted. “We failed to come up with the name of a person to replace your Kgosi. Therefore we suggest that we will submit his (Goitseone) name again and he will go ahead with his duties as Kgosi as he will be assisted by the secretary and police officers, “ he said.

Whilst he spoke, other members of the royal family could be heard murmuring that educated people capable of taking over from Goitseone were available in the village but had been excluded from the initial consultations.

A cousin of Kgosi Goitseone, Masedi Mosako, expressed his disappointment with the decision to continue with Goitseone saying other members of the royal family had not been informed about it.

Mosako is seen as a potential successor to the chief as he is not only educated, but has leadership qualities having once been employed by the Marapong Land Board.

“I am puzzled as to how you say the royal family held a meeting and failed to find Goitseone’s replacement whilst people like me were not informed about the meeting,” Mosako said.

“Many of us were not informed about that meeting and I believe you did it deliberately so that you could take that decision to exclude us even though you all know we are just as concerned as everybody else.

“There are so many people in this family who can read and write whom we can choose from as Kgosi Kgamane has requested.” He added: “How can you hold a secret meeting and take decisions without our knowledge? Le botlhale tota. Seo ke kgatelelo mo go rona le le batsadi ba rona (You are a conniving lot. That’s oppression visited on us by our elders). “But I will not allow you to do that. This is our family village and there is no one who will take decisions about it without our knowledge.”

However, Mosako’s younger brother, Mothusi Gasemotho, who has been assisting Kgosi Goitseone all along with the literacy issue, stood up to interrupt, saying he (Gasemotho) was the rightful heir.

Immediately chaos erupted as the two brothers exchanged harsh words and pointed menacing fingers at each other. The few people who had attended the meeting ended up leaving, but not before they too complained that Goitseone’s name was submitted without the knowledge of other royal family members.